Sakamichi Onoda starts high school hoping to revive its disbanded anime club. Years of pedaling a heavy mamachari to Akihabara and back have quietly turned him into a climber, and that catches the eye of first-year all-rounder Shunsuke Imaizumi and of Shokichi Naruko, a brash sprinter newly arrived from Osaka. The two press Onoda to join Sohoku High's competitive cycling team, pulling the timid otaku into the world of road racing and mountain climbs.